Marriott International

It's been a year of changes for the hotel giant, perhaps none of them bigger than J.W. "Bill" Marriott Jr.'s decision to step down as chief executive. He's handing over the reins to president and chief operating officer Arne Sorenson in March 2012.The company also spun off its timeshare division in November. With 3,700 properties in more than 70 countries, the company said it now could focus exclusively on its core business lines: managing hotels and franchising.